The Constituent Assembly selected Hindi because the official — not the nationwide — language of the nation after intensive discussions over three days. Shah and Udhayanidhi’s statements echo most of the debates within the Assembly then. Discussions had been additionally held over what script ought to the Union undertake, what script ought to the numerals be in, and what must be the standing of English. Hindustani (Hindi with extra Urdu components) and Sanskrit had been amongst these proposed as official languages.

At size, the Munshi-Ayyangar method — named after Drafting Committee members Ok M Munshi and N Gopalaswamy Ayyangar — was adopted as a compromise answer.

Explained beneath is the method, and a few consultant quotes from the lengthy discussions, to offer an thought of the numerous views expressed and debated within the Constituent Assembly.

What the Constitution mentioned on official language

As a part of the Munshi-Ayyangar method, Article 343 of the Constitution as adopted in 1950 mentioned, “The official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script. The form of numerals to be used for the official purposes of the Union shall be the international form of Indian numerals.”

“Notwithstanding anything in clause (1), for a period of fifteen years from the commencement of this Constitution, the English language shall continue to be used for all the official purposes of the Union for which it was being used immediately before such commencement.”

When the 15-year period came to an end, protests broke out over the worry of imposition of Hindi in massive elements of non-Hindi talking India, notably in Tamil Nadu. The resistance resulted within the Centre passing the Official Languages Act, which said that English would proceed to be upheld as an official language together with Hindi.

Debates on Hindi within the Constituent Assembly

RV Dhulekar: ‘Hindi should be national language’

Speaking on September 13, 1949, RV Dhulekar, from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, mentioned Hindi shouldn’t simply be the official language, but in addition the nationwide language. “You say, Hindi is the official language. however I say it’s the nationwide

language. There was a race among the many languages and Hindi has run the race and you can’t now cease its profession.”

To those that wished to retain English, he mentioned, “But here you say, postpone the change for fifteen years. Then I ask, when are you going to read the Vedas and the Upanishads ? When are you going to read the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and when are you going to read your Lilavati and other mathematical works?.. After fifteen years?”

To those that wished Hindustani, he mentioned, “… my honest advice to Maulana Hifzur Rahman [another Assembly member] is that he should wait for two or three years and he will find that he will have his Urdu language, he will have his Persian script; but today let him not try to oppose this, because our nation, the nation which has undergone so many sufferings, is not in a mood to hear him.”

Frank Anthony: ‘Don’t hand over English’

Frank Anthony, who represented Central Provinces and Berar, made a case for English.

“I am bound to say with regret that I cannot understand the almost malicious and vindictive attitude towards English…do not let our resentment against the British be imported into our attitude towards the English language… a knowledge of English which our people have acquired over a period of 200 years is one of the greatest assets which India possesses in the international field.”

Pandit Lakshmi Kanta Maitra: ‘Sanskrit should be national, official language’

Pandit Lakshmi Kanta Maitra, who represented Bengal, argued, “If today India has got an opportunity after thousand years to shape her own destiny, I ask in all seriousness if she is going to feel ashamed to recognise the Sanskrit language-the revered grandmother of languages of the world, still alive with full vigour, full vitality? Are we going to deny here her rightful place in Free India?”

About Hindi, he made the argument that it might be troublesome to seek out sufficient certified folks to show it to the remainder of the nation.

“If you want to coach up thousands and thousands of your young men in Hindi, you want teachers for that; you want literature for that, you ought to have elaborate printing machinery, books, texts, primers, teachers and all the rest of it. That would be a very great handicap… And mind you anybody from the Hindi-speaking areas would pose as a great Hindi scholar. I have got them tested and found them no good.”

Qazi Syed Karimuddin: ‘In Hindustani, each Hindus and Muslims can categorical themselves 

Qazi Syed Karimuddin, once more from Central Provinces and Berar, argued that even Mahatma Gandhi had championed Hindustani. “Congress had agreed that the national language of India would be Hindustani written both in Devanagri and Urdu scripts. If Mahatma Gandhi was alive today he, would have seen that on this issue Congress stood firm like a rock and Hindustani in both the scripts is adopted.”

“I say that only that language, in which both Hindus and Muslims easily express themselves and exchange their ideas and which has evolved through common intercourse, i.e. Hindustani, should be made the national language,” he added.

TA Ramalingam Chettiar: Hindi can’t be nationwide language 

T A Ramalingam Chettiar, who represented Madras, mentioned they’d agreed to Hindi just because it was spoken by numerous folks within the nation. “If we are going to accept Hindi, it is not on account of the excellence of the language, it is not on account of its being the richest language or on account of its being, as it has been claimed for Sanskrit, the mother of other languages and things like that. It is not that at all. It is merely on account of the existence of a large number of people speaking Hindi, not even a majority of the population of the country, but only among the languages which are spoken in India, Hindi claims probably the largest number of people.”

He then went on to argue why Hindi couldn’t be the nationwide language. “…you cannot use the word national language, because Hindi is no more national to us than English or any other language. We have got our own languages which are national languages and for which we have got the same love as the Hindi speaking people have got for their language.”